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Working with partners at this year’s P7 meeting to advance global LGBTI+ Rights
12 June 2025
Working with partners at this year’s P7 meeting to advance global LGBTI+ Rights
Stelios Foteinopoulos, International Policy Manager shares reflections from this year’s Pride 7 Meeting in Ottawa.
Last month, Kaleidoscope Trust participated in the 2025 Pride 7 (P7) Meeting held in Ottawa, Canada. For all participants, this was a significant gathering—not only because it brought together civil society organisations from G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) to influence and shape inclusive policy commitments ahead of the G7 Summit, but also because it took place amid growing global uncertainty. Across the world, communities are increasingly under threat from the rise of attacks on human rights.
Stelios Foteinopoulos, International Policy Manager, Kaleidoscope Trust
But we are also beginning to build momentum in our resistance.
What brought so many people, organisations, and governments together in Ottawa was a shared mission: that a common thread and values underpin our stories. Through collective action, we can build resilience, confidence, and hope.
The G7 has never traditionally been a natural space for LGBTI+ organisations or broader human rights discussions, as the conversations held in this space have mostly focused on economic and geopolitical priorities. However, in a world facing escalating crises—from democratic backsliding to rising authoritarianism and inequality—G7 member states can no longer afford to treat these issues as peripheral: Global leaders must take a clear stand in defending multilateralism, upholding human rights, and championing equality, recognising their global influence and responsibility to lead by example.
The P7 platform is a new effort, with member organisations only coming together for the first time two years ago. Nevertheless, this alliance provides an opportunity for a wide range of civil society actors to unite with one voice and advocate for stronger international cooperation on gender equality, sustainable development and human rights. Kaleidoscope Trust is proud to work alongside our partners to ensure that the rights of LGBTI+ people are meaningfully reflected in these global agendas.
P7 2025 Convening
This year’s P7 Communiqué—the guiding document for this group’s government engagement—is the result of months of dialogue, debate, and shared experience among civil society and human rights organisations. It is structured around four key pillars:
Upholding Democracy, Strengthening Legal Frameworks, and Advancing Human Rights Protections
Peace, Stability, and Humanitarian Action
Economic Sustainability, Equity, and Climate Resilience
Gender Justice and Health Equity
These pillars reflect the breadth of challenges the international community must address and the intersections between systemic inequality, social justice, and sustainable peace. They also provide support for civil society engagement with governments, donors and multilateral institutions in the lead-up to the G7 Summit and beyond.
As Kaleidoscope Trust’s representative in Ottawa, I had the pleasure of driving this work forward with international partners, government representatives and feminist and equality movements. Together with fellow P7 representatives, we engaged government officials to underscore the importance of strengthening LGBTI+ rights within foreign policy and development funding, and to urge them to uphold their multilateral commitments. In a time of growing global backlash and shrinking civic space, consistent and intersectional advocacy is essential to defend and advance human rights gains.
Throughout our work, we can see that the world is changing, and the UK is no exception. We are moving away from stable political environments and entering a period of growing insecurity and uncertainty—not just for LGBTI+ communities, but for everyone. Human rights are under threat because democracy is under threat, because international cooperation and economic prosperity are under threat. LGBTI+ rights are not only essential to our diverse communities, but deeply intertwined with the existence of democratic societies, strong inclusive economies and stable, secure countries. We need success stories to show the world, and G7 member states, that the human rights of all people are not optional, but a necessary foundation for building a free, safe, and equal world.
The meeting also reinforced the importance of working collectively with like-minded governments, civil society allies and donors to resist the spread of anti-rights ideologies within international spaces. We shared experiences, learned from each other, and explored ways to strengthen alliances that can have real-world impact, especially in regions where human rights face systemic exclusion, violence or criminalisation.
Kaleidoscope Trust recognises the organisers, Egale Canada and Dignity Network Canada, as well as the Government of Canada, for their support of the P7 this year, and we remain committed to working collaboratively at the global level to ensure no one is left behind in international policy and development commitments.
About P7
Founded in March 2023, “Pride 7 (P7)” is a new engagement group of the G7, focusing on the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTQ+ persons and associated policy recommendations. This affinity group was launched in Japan in 2023 with the aim of encouraging G7 member countries, including Japan, to fulfill their role as democratic nations and to ensure LGBTQ+ issues emerge as a key agenda item for discussion and action in all future G7 Summits.
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The pressing LGBTI+ human rights challenges of our day can only be solved through collaboration, whether that be with grassroots or international human rights organisations, governments and funding bodies – and people that really care, like you.
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